


Finish What We Started

by MissKita



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Belligerent Sexual Tension, Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV, ChillXV, Explicit Language, M/M, Romance, Romantic Comedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-06
Updated: 2017-12-06
Packaged: 2019-02-10 20:49:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12919974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissKita/pseuds/MissKita
Summary: Something happened between Ignis and Gladio a week ago. Things reach a boiling point at Insomnia's annual royal winter ball.





	Finish What We Started

Insomnia’s royal ballroom had been transformed into a wonderland for the annual winter ball. No expense had been spared. It was immaculate, gaudy, and festive. Ignis had seen it every year since he had been at Noctis’ side, but Ignis appreciated that the palace staff put in a lot of effort to create a new theme each year.  

Drinks, food, conversation, and laughter flowed around Ignis. He was technically participating in a conversation with a couple of Tenebraen and Altissian ambassadors and some Citadel folk, but his attention was drawn to the crowded dance floor that dominated most of the room.

Colleagues and strangers alike danced with their partners in colorful, expensive dresses and suits. At the far end of the ballroom was a set of stairs that led up to a throne for King Regis and a smaller throne for his son. Noctis sat next to him talking and looking bored. So far, the prince had only left his seat once, and that was to goof off with Prompto before he was called back up to the throne for some unknown reason.

Ignis was spared having to be at Noctis’ side all night. At eighteen, the prince had gotten better at fending for himself at kingdom events. Everyone here he’d likely met before, and there weren’t going to be any surprise guests. The break from his role as royal advisor was nice, but it left him idle. There was only so much pointless chatter he could tolerate.

He was half listening to the conversation around him. Ignis would respond at the appropriate times and smile with poise and perfection, but his attention was focused on the dance floor.

Prompto, wearing an ambitious patterned suit that would’ve looked ridiculous on anyone else, was awkwardly dancing with a pretty brown-skinned girl with big, kinky-curly hair. He’d spent two minutes talking to Ignis and debating about asking her to dance. Now that he had her in his arms, he seemed lost. Ignis swept his gaze from Prompto to another familiar face in the sea of dancers.

Gladio was with his little sister, Iris, while their father Clarus looked on fondly from his perch near King Regis. It truly was an adorable sight. The younger Amicitia was wearing elbow-length white gloves and a bright red, poofy gown that swished and swayed.

The older Amicitia cut a fine figure in his tailored suit. Similar to Ignis, he was wearing all black. While Ignis did opt for small embellishments, Gladio kept it simple. A silk black tie against a black dress shirt, a black vest, a black jacket and black pants and shoes. His hair was shiny and tied back into a thick ponytail. He looked…rather delicious.

Ignis would’ve told him that, but they hadn’t spoken at all this evening — which was on par for how things had been between them all week. He had to do something about what had transpired between them a week ago, but when and how?

He watched the brother-sister pair as he sipped his second glass of wine. Gladio ruffled Iris’s curled hair as she accidentally stepped on his feet and her face got red at the mistake. Gladio’s mouth moved and he imagined that he was telling her it was all right.

Ignis smiled to himself and indulged watching them a bit longer. He finished his wine and deposited the empty glass on the tray of a passing waiter. Ignis had gotten so focused on watching Gladio that he didn’t realize the song was ending. The next thing he knew, Iris broke her hold on her brother and looked directly across the ballroom at Ignis.

She waved. Caught, he waved back and tried to look busy, but it was too late. Iris grabbed her brother’s hand and pulled him. Ignis briefly considered cartwheeling through other guests and throwing himself out of a window.

“Hey, Ignis!” Iris said as soon as she was in earshot.

“Hello, darling. You look lovely.” Ignis gave her a genuine smile.

“All thanks to me,” Gladio said. Ignis was finally forced to acknowledge him. He glanced at Gladio who was watching him intently.

“Of course. A big brother’s work is never done.”

They stood there staring at one another. Ignis unconsciously straightened his plum-colored bowtie and then pulled his black gloves tighter. Gladio looked away first and turned his attention to his sister. He rested a hand on her shoulder. “Want another dance?”

Iris shook her head. “I want Ignis to dance.”

Ignis laughed in surprise. “If you insist, Iris. I’ll happily dance with you. If your brother shall allow it.”

Lady Amicitia screwed up her face. “I don’t care what Gladdy thinks.”

“Hey!” Gladio huffed. “You better care.”

Iris waved him off and smiled sweetly up at Ignis.  “I want you to dance with him, not me. I need a break. My feet hurt.”

“What?” Ignis’ laugh was strained.

Gladio’s clenched his jaw and glanced at Ignis then down at his sister. “Say what?”

Iris nodded. “You’ve been over here all alone and I don’t like it. So dance with him, Gladdy. Be a good friend.”

“I’m not alone at all. I’ve been having conversations —”

“Don’t care. Here. You’re at a ball. People dance at balls. So, you’re gonna dance.”

Before either of them could protest, Iris grabbed Ignis with one hand and Gladio with the other and pulled them both onto the dance floor. Ignis was too dazed to protest, but his heart was already rushing and his palms sweating under his gloves. Iris didn’t release them until they were deep in a sea of dancers. She placed Ignis’ hand in Gladio’s.

“I’ll ask Prompto to take pictures. He takes the best pictures,” Iris squealed. And then she trotted off in search of the blond photographer.

“Your sister is very demanding.”

“Amicitia blood.” Gladio gave him a sideways smirk that sent his heart aflutter. Damn it. “Well, let’s get to it, or she’ll come back and beat us with Prompto’s camera. Or his whole body. She can lift twice her bodyweight.”

Ignis chuckled softly. “I don’t want to wake the beast.”

After a few seconds of awkward fumbling, trying to decide who would lead the dance, Ignis let Gladio take control. He knew both parts to every ballroom dance that required couples, so it made sense for him to follow. Heat flooded his entire body as soon as the Shield’s hand pressed into his lower back and he drew him closer.

Ignis planted his free hand on Gladio’s shoulder while his other rested in Gladio’s palm. He straightened his back for proper ballroom posture and tried to desperately to focus on the steps. It was a simple waltz. He could make it through the next five minutes.

He wanted to look away but Gladio held his gaze. The scar he’d earned a few months ago had healed into something ruggedly handsome, and Ignis kept staring at it.

It wasn’t lost on him that Gladio glanced at his lips more than once. And each time he did, he clenched his jaw as if trying to reorient himself.

He sensed others watching them. Prince Noctis’ very own advisor and Shield waltzing in front of king and country? Yes, there would be gossip.

Ignis averted his gaze over Gladio’s massive shoulder. Other dancers spun and waltzed around them in a sea of colorful fabrics. The swell of the orchestra pulsed through his veins.

He was far too aware of each movement from Gladio. The sway of his thick thighs in his formal slacks, the pressure of his big hand on Ignis’ lower back, the warmth radiating from his body, the delicious scent of his cologne, the way his larger hand cocooned Ignis’ more delicate hand.

And the silence. The dead silence between them, a pair of friends who’d always had a humorous quip or barb to share with one another. Was this how it was going to be? How long could they go on like this?

Even a week away from his best friend had been difficult. He had lost precious sleep and expended far too much mental energy worrying about if and when Gladio would address what had happened between them. He didn’t want to lose one of his few friends due to something that could be overcome.

One hundred sixty-eight hours of awkward silences and avoidance was enough. He had to do something.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” Ignis said. The words hung there between them, soft and barely audible under the swell of music. He slid his gaze over to meet Gladio’s.

To the man’s credit, he didn’t look away or lie. Instead, his expression was pained. “I’m sorry. I just...it was stupid.”

“What was stupid? Avoiding me or?” Ignis trailed off.

“Ignis….”

“So I’m ‘Ignis’ now?” Gladio only called him by his birth name under dire circumstances. He was shocked at his own emotions, tangle of sorrow and something much deeper and confusing. “Answer me. What was stupid? Avoiding me or what happened between us?”

“Nothing happened,” Gladio said.

Anger and hurt flooded Ignis. He broke their hold, stepped back and nearly collided with another couple. Gladio’s expression changed to panic and something akin to regret as he realized what he’d said. But it was too late.

Ignis spoke in a low hiss. “Something bloody well happened.”

“Ignis, wait—”

He’d never hated the sound of his own name so much. With a bitter smile, he shook his head and then swept into a dramatic bow. It was more for the benefit of anyone who may be watching and less for Gladio — it was how one dismissed themselves early from a dance with graciousness.

He turned on his heel and swept off as fast as his legs would take him. With steely grace and poise, he cut across the ballroom through the sea of bodies and found the nearest exit.

Cold air hit him. It was a blessed relief from the heat of the ballroom. He hurried past guards posted at the exit and swept down the stairs. The chill quickly seeped through the layers of his suit.

His shiny black shoes hit the snow-covered ground, and he walked aimlessly until he found the garden. It was lit up with thousands of lights. Glowing, white trees lined the cobbled path he walked. Snow clung to every surface and glittered like diamonds.

And he was embarrassed. He wandered toward the massive ice sculpture of Shiva and sat down on a bench near her feet.

What the hell had he just done? Was it the wine that had made him act that way? He owed Gladio an apology.

Perhaps he’d overreacted, but the hurt and embarrassment still stung. He sighed, and his breath collected as white air in front of him.

Gladio was right to some extent. Nothing had happened. Not anything tangible. They hadn’t kissed. They certainly hadn’t had sex.

But to call it _nothing_?

It was the culmination of years of unnecessary touches, remarks filled with innuendo and lingering hugs. It was when they sparred together how they would stay in compromising positions far longer than what was appropriate. So much had brought them to that warm and tender place where they had a bond that was unparalleled. He might not be as experienced as Gladio, but he'd done enough research to understand what flirtation looked like. At least on paper.

Yet neither of them ever addressed it. They simply existed in this unspoken sphere without comment, never pushing the envelope. Never asking the hard questions.

Last week something changed.

It had gotten late. They were hanging out together in front of the Amicitia fireplace in the family library. The mansion was empty except for them.

They’d made a pad on the floor and had Ignis’ latest dessert creation for sustenance. There’d been wine.

Gladio read while Ignis lounged on pillows near him, listening to the ridiculous love story they’d found at the library earlier that day. It was poorly written drivel, the sequel to another book they’d read a while ago about the characters Sapphire and Midnight, but damn if Gladio wasn’t enthusiastic in his reading of it. He even did voices.

They’d gotten to a particularly ridiculous part that made Gladio burst out laughing. Ignis had taken the book from him to read it himself and somehow they’d started wrestling for it.

In a tangle of limbs, they came to rest in an unfortunate position. Gladio’s full weight was on top of Ignis, nestled between his legs while he braced on his forearms. The book had laid forgotten. They’d stared at each other in the flickering firelight.

The fire had crackled and popped in the fireplace. Ignis sat up on his elbows just as Gladio leaned down. Their mouths were mere inches apart. He could taste his breath on his lips. He leaned into it. They were so close….

Then there was the sound of voices — Clarus and Iris on the stairs. The pair scrambled up, faces burning. They didn't look at each other. Ignis said a hasty good night and had left.

The next day, everything had changed.

No texts. No calls. No contact. Even when they were in the same room, they spoke only of business. There were canceled plans on both of their parts.

So no, it wasn’t nothing. If it had been nothing, they would've swept it under the rug and continued on as normal.

He had to fix this. He’d messed up in the ballroom. But why did he have to reach out first?

Getting cold, he pulled himself up from the bench and continued walking aimlessly, deeper into the garden. It was beginning to snow. Snowflakes peppered his face with wet kisses. The path began to slope under his feet as he headed toward a frozen lake.

He retrieved his phone as he walked deeper through the garden. There was one message. His heart sped up as he opened it.

_Gladio: I’m sorry. Where are you? Can we talk?_

The text had been sent only minutes after he’d fled the ballroom.

~~_Ignis: There’s nothing to talk about. Isn’t that what you said?_ ~~

He deleted the snarky reply. That would be unwise and would go against his ultimate desire to repair things between him and his best friend.

 _Ignis: I’m by the lake._ _I’ll wait._

Taking a deep breath, he hit send.

He stared out at the frozen lake as the snowfall grew thicker and coated his lenses. He was starting to shiver from the cold, but he waited. He leaned up against one of the translucent glowing white trees and considered the next course of action. Time ticked by slowly. He began to pace. He was terrified of what was going to happen when Gladio got here.

The sound of footsteps crunching on snow sent dread through his blood. He turned around to see Gladio’s large figure heading toward him. In the time it took Gladio to reach him, he smoothed down his hair, straightened his suit, and tried to stop the trembling in his lips.

“It’s freezing out here,” Gladio said. And yet, he hadn’t put on his outer coat or scarf either.

“When one storms out of a ballroom, stopping for outerwear ruins the effect,” Ignis said softly. The trembling had increased, and he was sure it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he was cold.

Gladio came in close enough that he could see each individual snowflake in his hair and on his dapper black suit. “I’m sorry, Iggy. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“Intent versus impact, Gladiolus.”

“I’m in trouble, huh…?”

Ignis crossed his arms over his chest. “I may not have as much experience with this sort of thing as you do, but I know what I feel. Perhaps last week meant nothing to you, but it did to me.”

“Iggy…” Gladio shook his head, exhaled.

He wasn’t one for confrontation, especially not of this nature. Especially not with one of the most important people in his life. “Do you understand how bloody _difficult_ it is for me to face you and say these things right now?”

“I—”

“Maybe I’ve been misreading signals. Romance is not my purview, but you tried to kiss me, did you not?”

Nothing from Gladio, except him opening and closing his mouth like a fish gasping for air. Ignis continued on.  “I’ve lost _sleep_ over this. A man in my position can't afford to lose sleep. I’ve analyzed how I could possibly go on with my royal duties while having an inexplicable rift between me and the Prince’s Shield. I do not appreciate feeling this distraught—”

“Hold on —”

Ignis talked over Gladio. “Here are the facts. Yes, I shall admit it. I have a romantic interest in you. I understand that it is not that simple what with our roles, duties, and the social climate. Especially for an Amicitia.”

“Ignis, wait—”

“I don’t know what I was thinking, really. Our lives are not our own. An errant blade could cut either of us down. But the fact remains that you’ve been leading me on. It’s uncharacteristically cruel—”

“Damn it. Stop talking.” Gladio growled and closed in on him. “I’m not leading you on.”

Ignis’s words stopped dead in his throat. He struggled for several moments before he found his voice. “Then what? What are you doing?”

“I can’t think straight when I’m around you. Fuck…” Gladio exhaled white air and pushed his fingers through his hair, completely obliterating his ponytail. His hair fell around his shoulders.

Ignis was shocked into silence.

Gladio gave him a look that sent a surge of heat through his body, chasing away the cold. Gladio took another step toward him. He was close enough that he could see his eyes glittering from the illuminated trees. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just...”

“You just, what?”

He stopped in his tracks, exhaled puffs of white air and cast his gaze up to the sky as if he was looking for an answer up there. He looked anywhere but at Ignis. Shame and confusion hit the royal advisor and made him feel sick in his stomach.

“I can't.” Gladio turned his back on Ignis and began to walk away.

Ignis marched up behind him, propelled by his own indignance and breaking heart. “Is that it then? Can’t you be brave enough to tell me how you feel? Or are you that much of a coward?”

That did it. One did not simply call an Amicitia coward. Ignis knew that.

Gladio moved quickly across the snow, coming for Ignis like a bullet. Before he knew what hit him, strong arms wrapped around his waist. His feet left the ground and his back hit a tree. He wrapped his legs around Gladio’s waist and his arms around his neck, stunned and wide-eyed. Gladio’s fingers dug into his thighs as the Shield supported his weight.

The larger man stared at him, brows furrowed and eyes burning. He spoke with a low growl. “How's this for a confession? I want you so fucking bad that it makes me sick. Being near you makes my head spin, and I’ve been struggling for years with it. You’re so perfect, so calm, so self-righteous all the damn time. We’re friends. I’m not supposed to feel like this about you.”

“Why not?”

“You’re my best friend. It means more with you. You’re untouchable. I dunno...fuck…”

Time seemed to stop. The tips of their noses brushed; they shared the same breath. Ignis made a decision and there would be no turning back. He angled his head and brushed his cold lips against Gladio’s. “There. You’ve touched me. Not untouchable.”

“It ain’t that simple…”

“Kiss me or let me go.”

Their mouths met in a kiss. Warmth spread through Ignis. Gladio pressed the full weight of himself against him. Ignis felt a surge of desire in his abdomen. His heart soared. Gladio kissed him hard, tongue probing his mouth with a level of skill that dragged a soft moan from him and into Gladio’s mouth and dug his gloved fingers into his suit jacket.

Gladio rolled his hips against Ignis, pressing into his crotch; Ignis matched him, giving way to desire. The kiss broke. Ignis barely had time gulp a lungful of frozen air before Gladio’s lips and tongue was against his throat. His eyes fluttered closed as soft, hot lips pressed his collar down to expose sensitive flesh. He stroked Gladio’s back with one hand while drawing the other up into his thick hair.

Another whisper soft moan escaped him. Yes. This was what he wanted.

“Kiss me.”

With a pleasured groan, his friend met his mouth again. He relished the feeling of Gladio’s strong arms around him, his heavy, hard body pressing him into this tree and making him feel deliciously helpless. The kiss made him delirious and lit his blood on fire.

Slowly, it wound down. Gladio lingered a moment, pinching his bottom lip between his teeth, which sent a thrill of pleasure through Ignis. They pressed their foreheads together and stayed like that for a moment, gulping lungfuls of chilled air.

The silence around them was expectant. Gladio still held Ignis aloft up against the tree, his grip still firm and pleasant on his thighs.

“You knew I’d react to being called a coward, didn’t you?”

“It was a cheap trick,” Ignis said, but he didn’t feel sorry for it one bit. It gave him the most desired result. By the Six, it had given him more than he’d expected.

“Where does this leave us?” Gladio asked, his voice gruff and low.

He hadn’t thought this far. “Uh...I….”

“Amicitia got your tongue? Unbecoming of the royal strategist.”

Ignis huffed. “I won’t take your bait. We can figure it out together.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Gladio let him stand on his own two feet and they fell back into another kiss. The Shield fully engulfed Ignis into his strong and warm embrace. The kiss was so hot it threatened to melt the snow falling in blankets around them.

When the kiss broke, Gladio placed a warm hand on Ignis’ cheek to brush away snow. Ignis leaned into the touch and looked up at his friend. The glowing white trees around them illuminated his ruggedly handsome face. Snow clung to his eyelashes. A gentle smile played on his lips and his cheeks were flushed red with a blush.  Gladio dropped his hand.

“You look nice by the way,” Gladio said, shifting his weight and putting his hands in his pockets. There was something shy in his tone despite the fact that he’d just ravished Ignis against a tree. “The purple coeurl print bowtie is a nice touch. And your hair... the suit...really...your everything.”

“Come now, it’s nothing special,” Ignis said, looking up at him with a smile that could rival the moonlight. His heart was near bursting and he was nervous. He lifted a hand to some stray locks of hair smoothed it back, leaving his fingers in Gladio's hair at the base of his neck. “You cut a fine figure yourself.”

“Damn it, Iggy.” Gladio wrapped his arms around Ignis and swept him off the ground, spinning them both around in a circle. Ignis let his legs swing free as he held on tight. Their wild laughter rang out with only the trees and Astrals bearing witness.

When his feet hit solid ground, he adjusted his glasses and smiled up at Gladio. “Shall we return to the ballroom? Or do we wish to get frostbite?”

“When this thing is over, can I come to your place?” Gladio held out a hand.

The implications were there. Ignis nodded, slipping his hand into Gladio's. This would take getting used to.  “To do what?”

“Uh….talk? Unless you want to do more than talk?”

“Talking. Talking is quite...enough.”

“Heh. It ain’t every day I make out with my best friend up against a tree in the palace gardens.”

Ignis blushed and looked down at his snow-covered feet. “Certainly a scandal. We have a lot of ground to cover.”

The pair made a slow trek through the snow, holding hands until they reached the palace. They broke apart at the sight of the guards around the perimeter.

Some part of him knew that this was not a logical decision, but Ignis was not the rule follower that people made him out to be. Sometimes one had to break the rules to get what they wanted.

When they rejoined the party, Ignis happened to catch Iris’ eye as he and Gladio made for the wine bar. She was with a group of friends. She winked and raised her glass of cider before innocently looking away.

It would appear he owed her one.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Read my other Brotherhood-era fic. In this one, Gladio teaches Ignis how to kiss. Read [ Put Your Lips Like This ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12328623). Get acquainted with Midnight & Sapphire, the stars of Gladio's favorite trashy novels.
> 
> Jessie Ware has hotbed of Gladnis songs. This fic's title and theme can be found [ here ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHdkwHDPyZI).
> 
> Special thanks to nicoleiacross for the beta!


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